AVENGING INNOCENCE

When Chief of Police Mike wallace responds to a 911 call, he finds two other officers already on the scene along with the dead bodies of Rob and Lindsey Greysen and their six year old daughter Sydney. After the crime scene is processed and secured upon leaving the scene they are met by neighbor Chad Allen; also a police office recently assigned to desk duty. When he informs them the Greysen's have another daughter a desperate search begins in an attempt to find the missing girl before its too late

ATTENTION: THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN EDITED. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE ALREADY READ THE ORIGINAL FIRST CHAPTER I URGE YOU TO READ IT AGAIN AS I HAVE CHANGED SEVERAL THINGS.
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It wasn't until he came to the top of a small dip in the path
that he saw the set of identical flashing red lights. Unable to
take his eyes off of the enormity ahead of him, Wallace continued
to drive up the never ending straightaway until finally, he was
able to park his cruiser between the other two, which he
instantly noticed had already been vacated.

Taking a deep breath, Wallace stepped out of the car. And after
checking his 9mm, cautiously began walking towards the wide open
front door of the mansion.

A monstrous Queen Anne Victorian of natural brownstone loomed
over him; like a large winged predator silently stalking its
prey. Towers on either side poked through the cloudless sky that
was now flaming bright under the fullness of the moon.
Automatically giving the place a spooky appearance, he decided.

Once he was at the top of the wooden steps, the glow of light
blazing from the foyer allowed him to see to the left of him,
where there was an entrance of what he assumed was a lengthy,
wrap-around porch. From what he could see, it was scarcely
decorated with only a small round table and two chairs. To the
right of him, one of two massive towers huddled nearby, where he
noticed vacant windows black as tar stared back at him. He
stepped into the waiting foyer and instantly stopped dead in his
tracks.

For a brief moment, Wallace had forgotten why he was there. He
couldn't help but look around in astonishment at the self
indulgence before him.

The foyer was large by any standard and was meticulously
decorated. If you like being in a rain forest! He
thought. A simple antique table took up space on the far left
wall, and was perfectly arranged with several assortments of
green foliage, while two tree-size plants bearing enormous leaves
took up space in either corner. Above the attractive greenhouse a
portrait of a simple landscape hung perfectly centered.
Probably an original. Wallace concluded, taking his eyes
from the canvas.

On the opposite side of the room in the farthest corner, a three
tiered stone fountain purred silently while spurts of water
erupted from the upper level causing a waterfall, repeatedly
flowing into the bottom bowl where several fancy goldfish
leisurely swam. Underneath was another assortment of greenery
also perfectly arranged. Immediately before the stone fountain
there was an open archway welcoming you into a circular library.
High above in the center of it all hung a beautiful Maria
Theresa' crystal and rose chandelier. Each of the single
tiered lights burst with sparkle and glistened like newly
polished jewels basking in the sun.

He immediately recognized the two officers walking the length of
the hallway towards him and proceeded to meet them halfway, where
he extended an open hand.

"What do we have gentlemen?" He simply asked.

"Two bodies on the second floor...a man and a woman." Officer
Tony Miller was the first to answer. "Looks like it could be
domestic." he continued, trying to sound unnerved.

Officer Miller, Wallace knew, was a rookie. And from the look of
despair that was evident across his face it was easy to guess
that this was his first real crime scene.

"Where?...How bad...?" Wallace's voice had a note of concern in
it.

He looked away from Miller and into the face of Officer Dennis
Kane; a bizarre, too-polite five year veteran and a damn good
cop. It was quite obvious he expected the answer to come from
him.

After they watched Miller walk out through the front door and
down the steps, Wallace followed Kane back down the hallway and
up the steep Mahogany staircase.

"Did you search the rest of the house?" Wallace questioned.

"Not exactly sir."

"No offense, but haven't you noticed the size of this place? It
would take longer than the fifteen minutes we've been here to
search the entire house."

"Yeah I noticed." He said it low enough not to be heard.

"We discovered the bodies in the first door we opened sir, and
then immediately came back downstairs. That's when we saw you."
He concluded.

When they finally reached the top of the stairs and were a few
feet into the mile long hallway, Officer Kane opened the first
door on his left where his arm swiftly covered his nose and mouth
in a desperate attempt to block out the recent stench of death.

"In there sir." He said into his bare arm, moving out of the way.

Wallace stepped into the open doorway, and at once stood frozen
in his tracks.

The bedroom was much larger than any he had ever seen before. And
on the other side of the room he could clearly see the two
bodies.

Kane was right. The female victim clearly had a gunshot wound to
the head. She was seated in an upright position with her back
pinned against the headboard. An entrance wound, the size of a
dime was clearly embedded into the center of her forehead. The
exit wound he knew was much larger.

Blood and brain matter spattered the walls behind her.

"Dear God!"

"I told you it was bad sir." Kane said from outside the doorway.

"Yeah...It's bad all right." Wallace took one more look at both
victims and turned from the doorway.